1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved mill, and in particular to an improved mill having a drum with several blades that rotates within a housing having several bars affixed near the bottom of the housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mills have been in existence for many years and there are many patents covering some of those designs. Among the designs are:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,880,367 to Grover titled Grain Mill. This patent shows a small compact mill for grinding wheat and other grains having annular grinding stones, one fixed and the other driven, each secured to steel cutting burrs which have their cutting edges substantially in the grinding plane and one of which receives grain through a central opening in the burrs. The grain is cut or chopped by secant or non-radial cutter elements closely facing each other and set for shearing action. These force the grain as it is cut radially outward between annular grinding stones which are secured respectively to the stationary and the driven rotary burr. The driven burr is directly connected to the drive shaft of the motor, the motor being provided with a thrust bearing to oppose the thrust between the chopping and grinding elements. A hopper above the stones supplies the feed and includes a removable bottom sealed to the sides, and is provided with a metering opening to feed grain at controlled rate into a feed channel connected with the inlet through the stationary burr.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,578 to Scott is titled Rotary Grain Mill Having Means for Controlling Air and Grain Flow Therethrough, and Method. This patent purports to teach that a much better control of the grind of a rotary mill and much more uniformity of grind of the mill is achieved by better control of air flow through the mill, provided by making the milled product collecting pan of the mill air-tight and regulating the amount of in allowed to escape from the pan. The apparatus of the invention includes a housing in which are mounted two discs in spaced, confronting axial alignment, each disc having extending therefrom toward the other disc concentric rows of teeth. The rows of teeth overlap so that alternating rows of radially spaced, interposed teeth are formed. One of the discs is adapted to be rotated in relation to the other disc and grain to be milled, along with any air flow through the mill, is introduced through an inlet to the area between the discs inwardly of the innermost rows of teeth. An outlet into a substantially air tight collecting pan is provided for the milled material after it passes radially outwardly through the interposed row of teeth. An air control valve in communication with the collecting pan controls air flow out of the collecting pan which, in turn, controls air flow through the mill. Making the innermost row of teeth on the stationary disc, and making them shorter than the other teeth, substantially prevents the throwing of pieces of grain back out through the inlet under low feed condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,731 to Schmidt is titled Screen Construction for Flour Mills. This patent shows a rotary mill, particularly designed for the milling of flour, includes a screen assembly within which the hammer assembly rotates. It consists of a fine inner cylindrical screen surrounded by a coarse support screen. The cylindrical end edges of the screens are supported in end channels. The intake end of the cylindrical screen is provided with an annular wear plate around the inside thereof and extending two or three inches inwardly to protect the fine screen against heavy wear as the whole grain is entering and beginning to be broken up by the hammer assembly. A lip projects inwardly from the free edge of the wear strip to restrain movement of large particles onto the screen.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,862 to Wingler is titled Grain Mill. In this patent, a grain mill is disclosed comprising a heat-dissipating, stainless steel housing that holds a pair of grinding stones, one of which rotates with a shaft turned by an electric motor. The shaft is journaled on self-aligning bearings. The bearings and the housing cooperate to keep heat buildup from the grinding operation low so as not to damage the grain, even at higher grinding speed. As an additional check on mill temperature, a thermometer is included to provide temperature information, and an ammeter is connected to the electrical motor to provide information about the electrical current being drawn when the motor rotates the shaft as an indication of the stress on the shaft. A small door near the exit spout permits a check of the uniformity and size of the ground product. Finally, magnets on the hopper attract metal particles and hold them so that they do not enter the space between the grind stones, where they could damage the stones and become part of the product.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,442 to Schmidt is titled Grain Processing Apparatus and Methods. In this patent, a grain processing apparatus is used in one embodiment for debranning grain to remove the bran. In another embodiment, it is used as a mill for milling flour. The processor includes a cylindrical drum with an internal rotor having a set of impeller rods. The grain is loaded into the drum and is withdrawn as debranned kernels or flour as treatment proceeds. Bran removed from the grain is withdrawn through a vacuum discharge at the top of the apparatus. The grain is either discharged through a grain discharge or, where it is to be milled, it is withdrawn through the vacuum discharge as flour. The relatively coarse bran can be separated from the flour using a sifter. The air flow withdrawing the flour from the drum is drawn into the drum at the bottom, through a venturi and a valving arrangement. This cools the inlet air and maintains the temperature of the drum at an acceptable temperature.
While each of these inventions may work well for their intended purposes, each is not without drawbacks.
Thus there exists a need for an improved mill that solves these and other problems.